Disabled adaptations

You may find that it becomes more difficult to manage your home as you get older, or physical or mental impairment affects your ability to do day-to-day tasks. We can help to make your home more comfortable to live in by making appropriate changes to your house and immediate surroundings.

If you are having difficulties within your home and think that you need help in coping with some of the physical aspects of everyday living, such as:

The way we deal with your request will depend on the type of adaptation you require. If the work you need is likely to cost less than £1,000, we will usually carry out the work and you will not have to pay anything. We call this type of work a minor adaptation. Examples of minor adaptations include:

Rails

Grab rails

Banister rails

Handrails to steps

Doors and windows

Provide & fit doors

Widen doorways

Lower thresholds

Alter doorsteps

Provide and fit door entry equipment

Provide & fit temporary ramps

Plumbing

Provide & fit lever taps

Extensions to heating systems

Electrics

Provide & fit smoke detectors

Extend pull cord switches

Lower light switches

Raise power points

Provide & fit additional external lighting

Kitchens

Minor alterations to kitchen units & sinks

Miscellaneous

Provide & install key safes

Please note that these are only examples. There are other things which may qualify as 'minor adaptations' but which are not in this list. Some low-cost adaptations require specialist advice or assessment so we cannot deal with them as minor adaptations. We will advise you how to get the help you need.

We aim to complete work for minor adaptations within 10 working days of agreeing to your request, and we will carry out the work at a time which is most convenient to you within normal working hours. If we cannot complete the work in this time we will explain the reasons, and agree a reasonable time-scale with you.

We have programmes of work to replace older bathrooms and kitchens. We will ensure that we will consult with you and include any appropriate adaptations in the design of new facilities.

If the adaptation you require is likely to cost more than £1,000, or needs a more expert assessment of your needs, we will advise you how to contact the local authority (council) for your area, who can arrange for any required assessment.

The council will also advise you how to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG), to help pay for the work. A DFG is subject to a means test but, if you receive certain types of state benefit or have a low income and savings of less than £6,000, you will probably not have to pay anything towards the cost.

If you want to carry out work which you intend to pay for yourself, or which is funded by DFG, you will need our permission before you can start work. We will usually give consent to reasonable requests, although we may require you to agree to some conditions; this might include, for example, an agreement to pay for annual servicing or safety checks.

The council may help you to complete the consent forms, but if you are paying for the work yourself, you can apply online here.

If you require additional ongoing support to remain independent in your home such as:

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